Durban - As the woman who accused President Jacob Zuma of raping her in 2005 was being buried in Durban on Saturday, the African National Congress staged a march through the same city to demand that his detractors “keep their hands off” him.
The HIV-positive Fezeka Khuzwayo, widely known as “Khwezi”, a name given to her by media during the 2006 rape trial, accused Zuma of raping her at his home in Johannesburg in 2005.
She died last Saturday aged 42. The cause of her death has not been made public. She maintained throughout that she had been raped and sought refuge in the Netherlands before returning to South Africa in 2014. Her death drew widespread condolence messages to her family.
On Friday, gender activists held a memorial service for her in Johannesburg and praised Khuzwayo for her courage to speak out, even though many, mostly Zuma's supporters, insulted and made derogatory remarks against her during the trial.
Zuma, who was then deputy president, was eventually acquitted of raping the then 31-year-old Khuzwayo and went on to become the country's president in 2009.
He argued that it was consensual sex, infamously adding that he had a shower afterwards to prevent HIV transmission. As her funeral service got under way at the Central City Methodist Church in Durban's central business district, ANC supporters gathered at the King Dinizulu Park (formerly Louis Botha Gardens) before marching to the Durban City Hall.
According to a press release issued earlier this week by the eThekwini regional branch of the ANC, the march would be the largest march against “regime change” with 15 000 expected to attend.
“As the ANC, we are ready to defend our democratically elected President Jacob Zuma and the entire democratic government against any attempts at unconstitutional regime change spearheaded by counter-revolutionaries such as [Economic Freedom Fighters leader] Julius Malema, peace-time heroes, and agents of monopoly capital like [ANC veteran and former director general of foreign affairs, and now Anglogold Ashanti chairman] Sipho Pityana,” the statement read.
However, by 12pm when the march being led by eThekwini metro mayor Zandile Gumede kicked off, the size of the crowd was not believed to be more than 5 000, according to a source in the eThekwini metro police.
The march was expected to end at the Durban City Hall, barely 500 metres up the road from the Central City Methodist Church. Khuzwayo was expected to be buried at the Stellawood cemetery in Durban later on Saturday afternoon.
A brief statement issued by Katleho Mogase of Queendom PR Solutions read: “Fezeka was remembered by her comrades in the feminist movement, HIV and Aids activists, as well as gender activists in the Central City Mission. Many dozens more community members came in their numbers to pay tribute to this activist and leader. She was fondly remembered by all in attendance.”
African News Agency